Do Mosquitoes and Other Biters Bug Chickens?

[ChickMandy]

I hope this is the right place for this question. We had a really wet spring (if you can even call it that!) and are now suffering the effects of tons of mosquitoes and other marsh-loving pests. We leave the coop windows open during the day and into the evening for ventilation and to cool it down, so flies, deer flies and mosquitoes do get in.

Are they a nuisance to chickens like they are for people and pets? I'd hate for my girls to be bugged all night - pun intended

 

[M.sue]

All I know is that when mine are out free ranging that is what they are looking for! They run & chase like crazy after everything they stir up and flutters away. As for being bothered by them while in the coop I can't answer that one but I'm sure someone will!!

 

[7L Farm]

Why don't you put some screens on the windows? You can just buy the wire & nail it up. Its fairly cheap.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Mosquitos carry diseases that are transmittable to chickens such as fowl pox, west nile virus and encephalitis. 7L Farm is correct, screen everything on your coop. I even have a piece of screen hanging down loosely to their entrance. The chickens manage to get in and out just fine. I also hang sticky fly strips in the pen which works real well. Hang them high enough so that a chicken wont jump up and get tangled in one, or hang them in corners in the pen.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Mosquitos seem to get in through the tiniest openings.
I think I'm going to try mosquito coils. They always work for me when I'm in the tropics.

There have been some tiny black flies here the last few weeks that seem to really bug them unless it's windy. I see them constantly shaking their heads.

 

[ChickMandy]

We have "screening" on the windows, but it's tiny chicken wire more to keep out predators. I will talk to my husband about putting up actual window screen in addition to what's on there now. He happened to buy some yesterday to repair our front door. Our coop is ceiling is fairly high (we can stand up in it) so they sticky fly paper would work in there too.

Thanks for the health information. I knew about West Nile affecting humans, but not the other diseases mentioned, or that they affect chickens.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Mosquitos carry diseases that are transmittable to chickens such as fowl pox, west nile virus and encephalitis. 7L Farm is correct, screen everything on your coop. I even have a piece of screen hanging down loosely to their entrance. The chickens manage to get in and out just fine. I also hang sticky fly strips in the pen which works real well. Hang them high enough so that a chicken wont jump up and get tangled in one, or hang them in corners in the pen.

Cickens are mmune to West Nile, but other than that, I entirely agree.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Chicken wire will not keep out determined predators. It is good at keeping chickens in. Insect screening is pretty inexpensive, and as was said, just tack it over the existing wire. Of course, I recommend replacing the chicken wire with heavy gauge 1/2 x 1 cage wire.

 

[12304]

So far no bugs have bothered my chickens. I have seen them trying to catch all the biting bugs.But i do know that if you have a nice patch of dirt the chickens will roll around in the dirt and it will keep bugs away. so make sure you have a pretty big dirt patch that they can get to ( hope this helps)

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Mosquitos carry diseases that are transmittable to chickens such as fowl pox, west nile virus and encephalitis. 7L Farm is correct, screen everything on your coop. I even have a piece of screen hanging down loosely to their entrance. The chickens manage to get in and out just fine. I also hang sticky fly strips in the pen which works real well. Hang them high enough so that a chicken wont jump up and get tangled in one, or hang them in corners in the pen.

Cickens are mmune to West Nile, but other than that, I entirely agree.

Yep, chickens are used as sentinal chickens in Jax and other cities to detect west nile and encephalitis.